Create

Your step-by-step guide to successfully

create an app with FileMaker

Bring it to life!
Now that youve completed the Plan guide
and have learned to gather requirements,
prototype your design, and get user
feedback, youre ready to roll up your
sleeves.
This guide walks you through the first
steps of creating your custom app using
the FileMaker Platform.

Build the perfect custom apps to connect your team to your business.

Start building your custom

app using the FileMaker
Platform!

In this guide

This is the second part of a three-part

guide which covers the steps for
building a custom app using the
FileMaker Platform.

Design data model.... 15

Learn the essential components of

FileMaker and then begin to make
your idea a reality.

The steps to building a custom app.. 5

Learn about databases... 8

Design user interface... 18

Import data... 23
Integrate other data sources.... 27
Create business logic anddesign workflow.. 30
Set up security.... 42
Test your app... 48
Appendix A... 50

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

The steps to building

a custom app

Three principles help you build a custom app.

Building a custom app starts

with three principles.
Plan
Create
Deploy

Explore what you can do

with custom apps. Start
with Plan.

The FileMaker
Custom App
Success
Framework

These principles, illustrated in three

separate guides, lead you through
the process of creating a custom
app that transforms the way you do
business.

Put your custom app into

action. Learn how to roll it
out to users with Deploy.
5

Develop your custom

app with Create, a stepby-step guide to working
with the FileMaker
Platform.

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Assumptions
Make sure you have the most recent version of FileMaker Pro or
FileMaker Pro Advanced on your desktop.
If you dont, consider:
Contact Sales: (800) 725-2747 or
Download a Free Trial: www.filemaker.com/trial
Note: this guide makes references to the user scenario of Jennifer outlined in the Plan
Guide. Please refer to the Plan Guide for more details about this scenario.

FileMaker Pro

FileMaker Pro
Advanced

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

FileMaker Platform: A custom app platform

FileMaker is a rapid application development tool.
It has a drag-and-drop graphical user interface to make it easy to build apps.
It has a scripting language for automation.
It has at its core a database providing the structure to store and retrieve a variety of data.

Getting Started Tour

within FileMaker Pro

Learn about
databases

The steps to building a

custom app

Learn about databases

Design data model

Design user interface

Import data

Integrate other data sources

Create business logic

anddesign workflow

Set up security

Test your app

Appendix A

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Foundations
What does a relational database
do for you?
Relational databases are used to manage
large amounts of information effortlessly.
Why does this matter to you?
With a single point of entry, you can
create or retrieve data while keeping
duplication at a minimum.

For example, consider a company with

multiple contacts who share the same
work address. One work address is
shared for contact A, B, and C. If the
address needs to change, it only needs
to change once for all contacts.
People use relational databases to
manage inventories, maintain a list of
student grades, track people or assets,
and much more.

Database

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Organizing your data

The first step in data modeling is looking
at your data and figuring out how youre
going to organize it. What are the groups
of things that youre trying to describe?
These are called entities.

Examples of entities

Entities describe generic groups or

classes of things that are distinct from one
another.
You describe each entity using attributes,
which provide specific and individual
information about an entity.

10

FileMaker Training Series:

Advanced Module 2

Entity
Employees

Entity
Cars

Attributes
company, department, name, address, etc.

Attributes
manufacturer, model, year, color, etc.

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Relational database structure: Tables, records, and fields

In database terminology, the entities
are represented by tables. The
individual items in the table are
records, and the entities
characteristics or attributes are
fields. Together, the tables, records
and fields are part of what makes
up the database schema.
As you create the schema for your
app, the structure of your relational
database is modeling the real-world
problems you are trying to solve.
Relational database tables work
together to ensure that the correct
data is available when you need it.

11

Here, we show Jennifers customer

table. The example shown is much
like a spreadsheet. Each customer is
a record (row), and each customers
attribute such as name, company,
address, etc. is a field (column).
When entering data in a database,
think about how to break up the data
into its most basic components, so
that you maximize your search
capabilities. For example, when
entering a persons name into a
database, define the first name and
last name as two different fields.
Likewise, for a persons postal
address, break it up into
components such as street address,
city, state, etc., as shown in the
example.

Customer Table
Fields
(Columns)
First

Last

Company

Street Adress

City

Dave

Jones

West Side Antiques

500 W. Main St.

Smalltown

Sue

Smith

Rankin Studios

7788 N. First St.

Metropolis

Tom
..
.

Chase
..
.

XYZ Global
..
.

45 Loma Linda St.

..
.

Sunnydale
..
.

Records
(Rows)

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Relationships
Relationships connect data stored in different tables, so that when you are looking at a
record in one table, you also have access to the connected data in another table. The
connection is accomplished by matching information between the two tables. Here are
some examples:
-

FileMaker Pro Database

A person and his/her insurance policies. A person can have many insurance policies,
and each insurance policy belongs to only one person.
A car and its oil changes. A car may have many oil changes over time, and an oil
change is performed on one car.
A department at a company and its employees. The department may have many
employees, and each employee belongs to one department.

Next slide, well dig a little deeper into how these connections are made.
Relationships
connect tables

12

FileMaker Training Series:

Basics Lesson 8

Table 1
F1

F2

Table 2

FN

FN

FN

FN

FN

FN

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Relationships
When setting up a relationship, we match pairs of fields between
the two tables in order to connect them. These fields are called
keys because their values must match for the relationship to
make a connection. The fields must be unique, for example an ID
field that represents a unique record. In the example below, the

Car ID column in the car table is the primary key, while the Car ID
column in the service table is the foreign key. By matching these
two fields, each car in the car table is related to one or more
service jobs in the service table, and each service job in the
service table is related to only one car.
Service Table

Primary Key
A primary key is
a field whose
values are
guaranteed to be
non-empty,
unchanging, and
unique for the
first table in your
relationship.

13

Service
Date

Type of
Service

Technician
ID

Hours
Worked

Job
ID

35672897

2/5/14

Oil Change

123

35672897

5/20/14

Tuneup

456

35672897

8/3/14

Brake Job

789

87390286

3/30/14

10K Service

257

Car ID

Car Table
Owner

Make

Model

Year

Car ID

Joseph

Toyota

Prius

2014

35672897

87390286

9/17/14

Smog Check

942

Mary

Ford

Explorer

2009

87390286

87390286

4/23/15

Oil Change

715

Dan
..
.

Honda
..
.

Accord
..
.

2005
..
.

54289318
..
.

54289318

6/18/14

Oil Change

142

54289318
..
.

1/8/15
..
.

Oil Change
..
.

3
..
.

5
..
.

736
..
.

About
Relationships

Creating
Relationships

Quick Start
Training Guide

Types of
Relationships

FileMaker Training Series:

Basics Lesson 8

Foreign Key
A foreign key is a
field in the second
table. Its values are
populated so that
they match to values
in the primary key.
Its called foreign
because its value
originates in another
table.

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Relationships
Now lets look at our example with Jennifer. It has a similar
structure to the preceding examples:
-

Each customer may have many assets

Each asset is associated with only one customer

Customer Table

Defining relationships between tables sets up a powerful

foundation for future logic and reporting. When you create tables
and create relationships between them, you apply data modeling
concepts. Review your User Scenarios and Requirements
documents to think about the relationships you will need to
create. How is your data connected?
Asset Table

First

Last

Company

Street

Customer ID

Dave

Jones

West Side Antiques

500 W. Main St.

103

Sue

Smith

Rankin Studios

7788 N. First St.

Tom

Chase

XYZ Global

John
..
.

White
..
.

Iris Designs
..
.

Customer ID

Category

Item

Serial Number

Cost

103

Telephone

VOIP

779182737S

75

110

103

Computers

15

BN299765G

1000

45 Loma Linda St.

109

110

Appliances

Espresso

2267155789A

100

392 Oak St.

..
.

102
..
.

110

Office

Desk

5582939281G

50

110

Cameras

Digital

1X2U9H28JS

300

110

Computers

Desktop

ZA9982938829

1200

109

Office

Desk

5575372783E

50

109

Computers
..
.

Desktop
..
.

ZA9962536488
..
.

1200
..
.

..
.
14

About
Relationships

Creating
Relationships

Types of
Relationships

Design
data model

15

The steps to building a

custom app

Learn about databases

Design data model

Design user interface

Import data

Integrate other data sources

Create business logic

anddesign workflow

Set up security

Test your app

Appendix A

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Layouts
Layouts are the building blocks of the user interface, allowing the user to view and interact with the data. The data may be displayed as
a form, where only one record shown at a time, or as a list or table, where multiple records are shown at once. In the illustration below,
the data is being displayed as a form. As the user moves from record to record, the data displayed on the form changes.
Records

FileMaker Pro Database

Imported or
entered data
will fill tables
for use
in layouts.

Table
F1

Records
in a table

16

Adding and
Viewing Data

Each form
layout displays
some of the
fields for each
record.

Entering Data
in Records

F2

FN

FN

FN

FN

FN

FN

FileMaker Training Series:

Basics Lessons 3 and 9

FileMaker Training Series:

Advanced Module 3

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Layouts
Layouts can be viewed in three different ways. Table View displays one or more records at a time, similar to a spreadsheet. List View
displays one or more records as a list. It provides more formatting options than Table View. Form View displays one record at a time and
provides the same formatting options as List View.
Layout views from Jennifers customer table
Table View

List View

First

Last

Company

Street

Dave

Jones

West Side
Antiques

500 W. Main St.

Dave
Sue

Sue

Smith

Rankin Studios

7788 N. First St.

Tom

Chase

XYZ Global

John

White

Iris Designs

392 Oak St.

17

FileMaker Training Series:

Basics Lessons 3 and 9

Smith

West Side
Antiques
Rankin Studios

500 W. Main St.

7788 N. First St.

45 Loma Linda
St.

Displays one or more records at a time in a

spreadsheet like view.

Jones

Form View

Dave Jones
500 W. Main St.
Paso Robles, CA

Tom

Chase

XYZ Global

45 Loma Linda
St.

Owner

John

White

Iris Designs

392 Oak St.

Displays one or more records as a list.

FileMaker Training Series:
Advanced Module 3

West Side Antiques

Displays one record at a time.

800-555-1268

Design user
interface

18

The steps to building a

custom app

Learn about databases

Design data model

Design user interface

Import data

Integrate other data sources

Create business logic

anddesign workflow

Set up security

Test your app

Appendix A

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Design user interface

Designing a user interface is an iterative process. Youll start by thinking about the users
and the activities they are trying to accomplish. Are they performing data entry? Looking
up information? Taking action based on specific data?
The user requirements gathered in the Plan step of this framework will help you decide
how the user interface needs to look, and what the business rules are to
connect your data.

19

Getting Started Tour

within FileMaker Pro

Quickly Create
FileMaker Solutions

Quick Start
Training Guide

FileMaker Training Series:

Basic Lessons 9 and 13

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Layout Assistance
When you create a layout, FileMaker helps you choose a layout template
appropriate for the device where the layout will be viewed. There are templates for
computers (desktops and laptops), iOS devices, and printers. Most Starter
Solutions include layouts for mobile devices as well.

20

FileMaker Training Series:

Advanced Module 3

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Themes
Another great feature FileMaker offers is the ability to choose themes for your layouts.
Themes help create a visually attractive user interface by providing consistent styles
for buttons, fields, background and other objects on a layout. They apply pre-defined
fonts, sizes, colors, and other styling to your layout to give the user interface a
professional and attractive look and feel.

21

FileMaker Training Series:

Advanced Module 3

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Reports
You may want to see data in other formats
such as a dashboard or a report. See
Appendix A for more layout details.

22

Dashboard

Report

Dashboards use the charting tool and

global fields to summarize the data.

Reports display data in categories, use

summary fields and present data at different
levels of a hierarchy.

Import
data

23

The steps to building a

custom app

Learn about databases

Design data model

Design user interface

Import data

Integrate other data sources

Create business logic

anddesign workflow

Set up security

Test your app

Appendix A

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Choose a way to start

There are three ways to get started:

24

FileMaker Pro or Pro Advanced

Use an example

Import your data

Start from scratch

FileMaker Pro provides

Starter Solutions.

Importing is as easy as
drag and drop.

If you know how your interface

needs to look, start here.

Creating a FileMaker
File from a Starter Solution

Importing Data into a

New FileMaker File

Creating a
FileMaker File

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Starter Solutions
Start from a FileMaker Starter Solution available in the File Menu.
-

Projects

Estimates

Event Management

Resource Scheduling

Contacts

Meetings

Assets

Expense Reports

Content Management

Product Catalog

Invoices

Personnel Records

Inventory

Time Billings

Tasks

Research Notes

25

Creating a FileMaker
File from a Starter Solution

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Import data
When you import data, you are bringing
data from another source (usually a file)
into a FileMaker file. You can import data
from:
-

Another FileMaker file

A Microsoft Excel file, or another

supported file type

An external source like ODBC

or MySQL

Another FileMaker file

Microsoft Excel file

Database

External Source

26

Importing Data into a

New FileMaker File

FileMaker Training Series:

Basics Lesson 6

Quick Start
Training Guide

FileMaker Pro file

Integrate
other data
sources

27

The steps to building a

custom app

Learn about databases

Design data model

Design user interface

Import data

Integrate other data sources

Create business logic

anddesign workflow

Set up security

Test your app

Appendix A

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

External Data Sources

Scheduled integration

Real-time integration

You can use FileMaker softwares automation tools

to schedule your data integration so that data is
brought into your FileMaker app in batches at
designated days and times.

You can integrate with external data in real-time by

maintaining an ongoing connection to an external
source. This powerful feature allows you to interact
with data stored in other systems just as if it were
part of your FileMaker app.
Table 1

Table 2

MySQL, Oracle or
Microsoft SQL Server
FileMaker Pro Database

28

Introduction to
External SQL Sources

Accessing External
Data SQL Sources

FileMaker Training Series:

Basics Lesson 17

FileMaker Training Series:

Advanced Module 9

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

External Data Sources

In our example, Jennifer needs to track customer contact information located in an external database in the corporate office.
Using FileMaker softwares real-time data feed capabilities, an app can be designed to access this external data just as if it were
located in a FileMaker Pro table.

Customer Table

External Database

Customer Layout
(Form View)
FileMaker Pro Database

29

Introduction to
External SQL Sources

FileMaker Pro
populates
the layout.

Accessing External
Data SQL Sources

ODBC/JDBC
Integration Overview

Create
business logic
and design
workflow

30

The steps to building a

custom app

Learn about databases

Design data model

Design user interface

Import data

Integrate other data sources

Create business logic

anddesign workflow

Set up security

Test your app

Appendix A

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

What is business logic?

Business logic is the programming that manages the communication between an end
user interface and a database. The main components of business logic are business
rules and workflows.
-

A business rule describes a specific procedure

A workflow consists of the tasks, procedural steps, required input and output
information, and tools needed for each step of that procedure

31

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Business automation
When building your custom app, its likely that youll need to automate some aspect of
your workflow. FileMaker provides an intuitive scripting language to help with this. This
language is easy to read and write, while also providing considerable power and
allowing you to model complex scenarios.
In addition to the scripting language, FileMaker includes calculation formulas, functions,
and other useful tools for streamlining processes.

32

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Scripting: An important aspect of app logic

Scripting allows you to automate processes, from simple navigation tasks to complex
reporting and workflows. Automation is accomplished by creating and using scripts.
A script consists of a series of instructions. Scripts can be invoked by performing an
action in the app. For example:
-

Selecting an item on a menu

Clicking a button on a layout

Entering a layout

Navigating between records

Opening a file

33

FileMaker Training Series:

Basics Lesson 15

FileMaker Training Series:

Advanced Module 5

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Script Workspace
Script Workspace

The Script Workspace in FileMaker is

where you create, edit, view, and organize
your scripts.
Highlighted below is a one step script
that changes the screen, causing
the customer list layout to be displayed.

34

FileMaker Training Series:

Basics Lesson 8

Editing tool bar

Left bar
shows a list
of current
scripts

Right side
shows a list
of script
steps that
you can use
to build a
script

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Automating a task
Jennifer needs to enter information on new customers. Here is an example of how a script can meet her needs:

What the user does:

User clicks on the button Create New Customer.
This button has been set up to invoke the Create
New Customer script.

35

What happens:
Step 1: FileMaker Pro goes to the layout called
Customer Details.
Step 2: A new record is created.
Step 3: The cursor moves to a field called
Company.

What the user sees:

A blank customer form is displayed. The cursor
is positioned on the Company field, so the user
can start entering the new customers data.

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Automating a task
Jennifer also wants to automate the task of generating reports. Heres what she does:

What the user does:

User clicks on the button Create Email & PDF.
This button has been set up to generate an email
with a PDF attachment.

36

What happens:
Step 1: The chart layout is displayed.
Step 2: Print settings are established (in this
case, landscape).
Step 3: A temporary file path is generated to
establish a place to store the PDF file.
Step 4: The PDF file is generated and attached
to an email.

What the user sees:

Users receive an email with the PDF attachment.

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Calculations
A calculation uses a formula to generate a result. Sometimes the result is displayed on
the screen much as formulas are displayed in a spreadsheet. Other times, the result is
used by a script to make decisions about what the script does next. The use of
calculations in FileMaker software is similar to the use of formulas in spreadsheets.
Calculations can used to populate fields, provide tooltip messages, set up dynamic
emails, and for many other purposes.

37

FileMaker Training Series:

Basics Lesson 14

FileMaker Training Series:

Advanced Module 4

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Business Intelligence
Jennifer wants to know the total cost of equipment. She is also interested in metrics like
the asset category, the asset purchase date, the rental agreement starting date, and the
individual asset cost for inventory planning purposes. Developing a custom app using
the FileMaker Platform can help Jennifer make better business decisions by monitoring
these specific metrics.
FileMaker Pro can present this information in the form of reports or charts for easy
visualization as shown in the next few pages.

38

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Calculations
For Jennifers app, we can define two calculations, one to find the number of days an asset is leased, and the other to find the total cost
of a customers assets. These metrics can be tracked over time to help Jennifer make better business decisions.

Defining the calculations

Displaying the calculations

Here the total cost of assets is
calculated for this customer.

39

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Data visualization
FileMaker software can generate
hierarchical reports that summarize
groups of records.
The assets on this report have been
grouped into appliances, cameras,
computers, office furniture and telephone
records for easy viewing of costs.

40

FileMaker Report

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Data visualization
The same asset data can be presented as
a pie chart for easy visualization.

41

FileMaker Report

Set up
security

42

The steps to building a

custom app

Learn about databases

Design user interface

Design data model

Import data

Integrate other data sources

Create business logic

anddesign workflow

Set up security

Test your app

Appendix A

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Role-based security: Who will use the app?

Identity
Authentication verifies the identity of the
user. The user creates an account which
includes a username and password.
Access Control
FileMaker software allows you to set
privileges for each user by creating
privilege sets and associating them with
specific user accounts. Privilege sets
control what a user can do. For example,
they determine what data the user can
view, create, edit, and delete and what
layouts and scripts the user can access.

Role

Executive

Data-entry employee

Field employee

Executive report

Data-entry form

Field rep dashboard

Layout

The executive has access to all three layouts, the data-entry employee has
access to only one layout, and the field employee has access to two layouts.

43

FileMaker Training Series:

Basics Lesson 18

FileMaker Training Series:

Advanced Module 7

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Role-based security: Privilege sets

Every new FileMaker app you create has 3 pre-defined privilege sets:
Full Access
The user has complete access to the file.
Data Entry Only
The user can view, create, edit and delete records; and import and export data.
Read Only
The user can view records and export data.
Additionally, you can define custom privilege sets for fine-grained control over what a
user can do.

44

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Managing accounts locally or externally

FileMaker provides two types of accounts, local and external, allowing you to manage them
within each individual FileMaker file or externally from a directory service.
Local accounts are defined within the FileMaker Pro database file itself. You can have as
many as you want, and you can use scripts to create and modify them automatically.
With external accounts, accounts are created in an external system, typically Active
Directory or Open Directory, so that authentication can be managed by an IT administrator.

45

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

High-level security diagram

The FileMaker Platform

employs a unified security
model, where the security
that you establish for an
app is applied across iPad,
iPhone, Windows, OS X
and the web.
(*) Indicates areas where security
is setup outside of the FileMaker
Platform.

Apps for web

browsers using
FileMaker WebDirect
*

Active Directory
Open Directory

External Data
Sources for accessing
ODBC data

FileMaker Pro or FileMaker

Pro Advanced for
apps development

46

FileMaker
Server

LAN

WiFi
3G/4G
WAN

tes
a
d

Apps for iOS using

FileMaker Go

u
ps

Ap

Server Admin Console

for server configuration
and management

Apps for Mac

and Windows using
FileMaker Pro

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Insuring your data is secure at rest and in flight

FileMaker Pro Advanced offers encryption at rest, which obfuscates and secures all the
information stored within a given FileMaker app so that it can only be accessed by
authorized users. This is in addition to the account-based security discussed previously.
FileMaker Server uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to encrypt connections
between FileMaker Server and its FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Go clients, as well as
between the Web Publishing Engine and its FileMaker WebDirect and Custom Web
Publishing clients. This helps to ensure that your hosted communications remain private.

47

FileMaker Security
Guide

Test your
app

48

Learn about databases

Design user interface

Design data model

Import data

Integrate other data sources

Create business logic

anddesign workflow

Set up security

Test your app

Appendix A

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Test your app

After building your app, test your design with the intended users.
Testing is an iterative process and a critical step in building your
app. The results of testing will determine whether you to repeat
another cycle of the design process before moving on to the
Deploy step.

Circle back and test

your design with users
Test your app

Users

Implement users
feedback

49

Appendix A

50

The steps to building a

custom app

Learn about databases

Design data model

Design user interface

Import data

Integrate other data sources

Create business logic

anddesign workflow

Set up security

Test your app

Appendix A

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

FileMaker Pro layout views

Layout View Options

Form View

List View

51

Working with Data

in Table View

Table View

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

How are FileMaker Pro four Modes used?

For using the app

For building the app

52

Mode

What can you do in this mode?

Browse

Data entry/view, add, edit, sort and delete records

Find

Search for records and fields

Preview

View data before printing; also for reports

Layout

Create user interface; edit

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

FileMaker Pro Modes

Find Mode

Browse Mode

Layout Mode

Search through your data and find

records that match the criteria you enter

Enter, edit, and view the data

Design interfaces, deciding how

data should look

Preview Mode

See how your data and layout will

be printed or saved to PDF

53

Changing modes in layout mode

(Left bottom corner)

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Layout parts
A layout is divided into various parts. The
most commonly used ones include:
-

Header
Body
Footer

Layout parts control how and where

objects such as fields, text objects and
graphics are displayed.
When you create a new layout, it will
include one or more parts depending on
your choice of layout template and the
layouts dimensions are based on device
type selected.

54

Header

Body

Footer

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Layout mode navigation and editing tools

In Layout mode, FileMaker provides editing options on the Status Tool Bar to add layout
objects such as portals for displaying related table information, button bars for adding
navigation or printing a report, web viewers for displaying web content and much more.
The Inspector Tool Bar gives you control over the objects placed on the layout.
Status Tool Bar

55

Inspector Tool Bar (Object Control Center)

The steps to building a custom app Learn about databases Design data model Design user interface Import data Integrate other data sources Create business logic and design workflow Set up security Test your app Appendix A

Layout mode navigation and editing tools

The Field Picker is used to define fields for your app, and to add or change fields for an
existing layout. Once fields is created, you simply drag them over to your desired layout.
You can also view and create fields from other tables using Field Picker.

Status Tool Bar

56

Field Picker

Get started sharing your app with our next guide:

Deploy
Your step-by-step guide to successfully deploying your FileMaker app.